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It’s been a week of WORK here at Honeyrun Farm. For some, more than others. I came down with a nasty virus on Monday and was on the couch until Wednesday evening. Eden got to spend some time beekeeping with dad. I think she enjoyed herself.

Queen of the hive

Katie and Kristen kept the honey house going, filling a large order for corporate gifts:

Just like years past, we will be turning our honey house into a retail space. We’ll work around extractors, wax spinners, buckets and barrels to create a shopping area where you can sample honey, view gift baskets and candles, or even create your own custom gift basket if you’d like.

Our employee Katie has a nice collection of holiday decorations she loans out to us to help give the honey house into a fun, festive atmosphere.

I remember when I was a kid, sometimes my parents would take us to an open house because they were giving out free hot dogs. It was usually a farm implement shop, hardware store, or something of that sort. I was always amazed… free hot dogs… really… free?! Well, we’re gonna top the free hot dog and give away free cookies, hot cider, and even have a few raffle prizes we’ll be giving away throughout the weekend. I promise I will not judge you if you only show up for the free cookies. Hope to see you there!

Remember when Halloween consisted of just one glorious evening of walking around town? Maybe you’d spend a few hours (not days!) fretting over a costume. Remember the good old days when it was short and sweet? And made for kids? I know I sound like a grouch, but this business of adult Halloween parties, school candy parties, and no less than three or four kids events is complete BS. It takes a full week! What a bunch of crap.

In so many ways, I feel like my parents’ generation had it easy. I mean, compared to what we have to go through. In holidays, in sports, in politics, in school… in their three TV channels and two newspapers and two genders… in their wall hanging dial phones, no internet, limited fast food choices and 55 mph speed limit… they had it easy! It really makes me wonder.

What will little Arlo be complaining about at 42?

Your guess is as good as mine.

As I write, a cold, hard 22 degree wind whips and screams. There’s ice on the doorstep and the eggs are soon to crack unless I get out there. Winter has arrived.

The wood stove whistles in the next room. We are definitely transitioning. Jayne is on her early Saturday trip to the Worthington Market. Two weeks ago they moved inside, but poor poor sister Becky is still outside at Clintonville. Hope she bundles that baby.

As usual, I’ve got the kids. And as usual, for November, we’ll probably jump into cutting firewood.

We’ve been at it for at least a month. Saturday afternoons. I’ve got to say, I’m impressed with how enthused they get. In about an hour we can do a full load. In another hour, it’s all on the porch. And they stay happy the entire time. Apparently nobody has explained that this is work.

On Wednesday, as the kids were moving another load onto the porch, I took the opportunity to check the election results. The real results. As in, who’s ticked off, who’s happy, who’s pleasantly surprised, who’s talking trash, and who’s moving to Canada. Yes, this can all be done through Facebook.

I came across useful data in the form of a pie chart:

According to Jayne, this is something I need to keep in mind as we move toward 2020.

But that’s a long way off. And in the meantime, we’ve got a lot to do.

As you can imagine, there isn’t much in the way of bee work with this weather. The girls are hopefully fat and happy and clustered for a long winter’s nap. I haven’t peeked in a hive for over two weeks and I’m suffering withdraw. Fortunately I have the wax to keep me busy.

All the cappings are now being rendered into blocks. This is an involved process.

A process with certain perks.

If you’re at all interested in this wax processing, I explained some things in a blog post back in 2016: Wax 101

I can do just a few blocks every day, and I need to hustle along because the candle orders are picking up.

Here is where you find the real work, and the real transition into winter. Pouring and wicking candles, making soaps, salves, lip balms. Packing honey, arranging gift sets…

Jayne, Katie, Kristen and Petyn run around on the many daily tasks.

Lafe and I try to stay out of the way… just keep the floor clean the the wax blocks coming.

The orders come streaming in and we know that the stream will soon become a river. The river will swell into an ocean about a month from now. Everyone wants their holiday beeswax candles.

I guess it’s just something that goes hand in hand with the season.

No, not that. We’re past that spooky season.

I’m talking about the truly scary one. The one where we all go insane.